Chapter 11 - Take This More Seriously, Alright?
Night Time, Phillip Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
The trip back to the hotel felt like it took forever thanks to the paranoid police cars flooding the car. The Bad Guys considered remarking that this was the usual number of cops to chase after them, but the look of the ruffled Diane told them that it was best to get yelled at once hidden.
She didn't appear tired, but she could be close to snapping. Doing so in the dark alleys wasn't ideal.
By the time they arrived back at Phillip Hotel, the sky was pitch black. Much like the growing quiet city, there weren't that many strollers around. Good for sneaking in without catching anyone's attention aside from the receptionists. However, nobody said a single word. Not when they were still out and about in public.
Eventually, the squad began to mutter a little once they arrived at their floor. They all had different rooms, but Diane wanted all of them to meet up together in her room. Kitty and Fuchsia were already there with the files and Webs' laptop, unharmed.
Diane was quietly fuming as she checked over the bruises covering Wolf's forehead. Kitty was onto looking through the bruises on Snake.
The rest of the Bad Guys waited in their seats, idly picking on the bed sheets.
There was a slow rise in them sharing jokes, but it was clear that their stunt was inappropriate. Diane could only shake her head non-stop.
"You really have to dig into someone's pockets?" said Diane, sounding fed-up.
Wolf chuckled drunkenly. "In my defense, the original owner didn't check who took care of his coat. Anyone else would have stolen his car."
"Nice alibi. And how would you find unable to meet the charges he would like to dictate?"
"Terrible," deadpanned Snake as Kitty inspected a spot he believed must be sore. "Everyone will know we wasted a perfectly good car for the third time."
"Don't you mention," growled Wolf.
"We didn't end up getting a lot of people hurt, right?" asked Webs worriedly. It wasn't out of curiosity. It was more out of concern since she remembered a few car crashes they might have caused.
"We DID smash into a construction truck," said Piranha sheepishly.
"Geez," said Kitty, wiping her forehead. "You must have sucked in all that smoke."
"If anybody asks," said Diane. "Deny, deny, deny."
"OK…" said Wolf. "But what if that might not work? They would figure it out."
The red fox sighed. "Wolf, you don't understand what we're up against here. The fate of the world depends on this mission and if you're gonna cause trouble we cannot fix, we'll lose our chance in securing our targets!" She took a moment to breathe properly, trying to keep her temper under control. "And if I'm being honest, you guys need better escape routes."
Wolf raised an eyebrow on that last comment.
"Hold on, is the mission really serious?" questioned Snake.
"Yes," said Diane bluntly.
"Though, it's a simple search. And besides, knowing how long it took to budge Sunny-" He paused, glancing at Kitty before back at Diane. "You-know-who, it would take like a couple of more months to make them scared and move their sorry butts securely. We practically have all the time!"
Rolling around from a wheely chair, Fuchsia turned around to face the Bad Guys. Much like the worn-out Diane and the exasperated Kitty, she was disappointed. Though, for a different reason.
"I think I have to take on their side," said the red-eyed piranha. "OK, so it's cool that you're showing you're in town, but what's your endgame? What would you do if that sends a signal to your targets? That might even attract other kinds of attention! I mean, you're too open right now."
Piranha shuffled a little, looking uncomfortable.
Shark, the only one who had been keeping quiet, whistled. "It's only our targets and the police cops who would hear about us. And if we keep quiet now, they won't try to contact others yet."
"Who knows if anyone else comes in!" exclaimed Fuchsia. "And they might even discover what kinds of secrets you were all sent in to fulfill. Comprende?"
"Exactly," said Diane. "It's a good thing that we managed to sneak back here before vandals might even find you."
Wolf was able to ditch the standoffish demeanor he carried from before. "Then it looks like that's when we'll need to keep using our disguises. That's our best chance."
"Just please be careful of what you do," reminded Diane. "Look, it might not matter once we finish the mission, but be safe, alright?"
After a day of exploring and a night of drunkenness, all of the Bad Guys nodded in agreement. In the state of riot, they nearly forgot that their reputation and public reveal could call for unwanted obstacles. It was for the better to tone any mischief down for now.
Though, for Snake, he was in middle. But he knew much about getting too personal and the rum he drank probably obscured his better judgment.
Wolf wished that his now-flat voice could indicate how he feel already, now calm from the storm he created. "It's a bit overdued, but I'm sorry for falling back into old habits."
Kitty appeared to be the most reluctant to take in the apology. While she had grew to like the Bad Guys, she found herself wary and tired of their shenanigans from time to time. She took a look at Shark. He might look quiet and sober, but she knew he had a party inside just waiting to explode. Eventually, she decided to shake her head and move on.
The police she could worry about later, but she had to remind herself that these Bad Guys were just like children. Is that how Diane see them as or acts like a child as well?
"Bad habits die hard," Kitty commented. "You still have responsibility."
"Yeah," agreed Webs, rubbing the back of her head. "My fault for convincing Wolf to drive the car."
"Same here," said Snake.
"Speaking of which," said Diane. "Why did you think of joyriding? Half of you were drunk. And while I should have come out to check on all of you, what led to the decision? What happened?"
Wolf frowned. As he was recollecting all his thoughts to response sensibly, he remembered his run-in with Thelma. How him cooling down from the panic led to taking pleasure in stealing the car. All in wanting to ignore the pent-up anger and sorrow he had towards this place.
He even remembered his mental breakdown, visible for his friends to see.
He wanted to show off to this city that he wasn't weak anymore.
He flicked his ear up when he thought he heard something. It was the same voices as before. Telling him off for his recklessness.
Fortunately, the second Snake saw Wolf's ears drooping, he stepped in and Wolf could hear him clearly.
"It was just some old enemy," explained the reptile. "Wolf needed some time to think and then, we noticed the car. I thought of taking a short drive to relax."
"It's partially my fault, sweetheart," said Wolf, puffing up his chest. "It's my addiction to cars."
Diane immediately noticed the contrasting reasons Snake and Wolf had. "There was some old enemy you two ran into?"
Wolf shook his head. "It's not important, Diane. I told you, it's an addiction."
"But you were distressed when you rushed out," pointed out Kitty.
The canine bristled, his fur standing up. He hated how tense he already was. "Sure, sure. Can we not talk about it? That person isn't even the real cause."
"If they're a problem, then-" started Diane, but she was cut off.
"Just let me try to be RESPONSIBLE for this, alright?!" growled Wolf, crossing his arms. "It's something I have to get used to!"
Snake thought of continuing since he was honest, but it was clear Wolf no longer wanted to talk about it. "It's just some wannabe street trash. We won't be like this for long."
Diane quietly deduced the implications she could figure out. If Wolf ran into someone who scarred him for life, this was news. While she was late to see the look on his face when he ran out of the bar, his decision to joyriding might have been more of an irrational choice out of avoidance. And his friends seemed to be trying to make him and Snake feel better.
Speaking of which, the fox glanced at the silent trio. They looked like they wanted to say something but decided not to for the sake of their leaders. All three had their eyes at the carpet.
She turned to Fuchsia, who could only shrug and look back at her phone apathetically.
As Diane thought about it, she figured that Wolf running out from the bar was composed from a similar reaction he had at the mention of Melbourne during the morning briefing. Not to mention knowing about his hallucinations beforehand.
"Oli-I mean, Wolf?" said Diane quietly. "Do you…need to talk about this privately?"
Wolf grimaced, his facade still heavy. "I don't need to talk about it."
Diane nodded, sitting down on the bed. "OK. But come to me when you need to. As a friend, we can sort this one out."
Wolf only stared at her for a while with glassy eyes. Snake noticed this, wondering if his friend would be seeing things again. They were on the same page that they didn't want to reveal about Thelma. She was just one person. It would be overdramatic to say they didn't feel safe around her. Their main focus should be the mission instead of who they wanted to avoid in this city.
"I don't think it's none of your business," said Snake bluntly, averting eye contact.
However, Wolf was able to acknowledge Diane's offer. It reminded him a lot of how much she was also there for him.
"Sure," he muttered. "But to let you know, it's not gonna be too significant to sort out. Let's do this afterwards."
He was wearing a blank look, but Diane could hear the strain in his voice. At least he reassured her they could talk about it later on. It was the best answer since she couldn't push further for tonight. It could wait. Dealing with the police tomorrow would be simple to do.
"OK," said Diane respectfully.
"Hey now," said Piranha, raising his hand. "Diane did say that we got disguises to hide our real identity. In a way, we wouldn't have to fear being harassed! Wolf and Snake will be safe since those bullies won't recognize them. They'll just see them like everyone else."
The statement came out more awkward than thought. The little fish realized that, shrinking. However, to his and Diane's surprise, Wolf chuckled with a small smile.
Diane turned to Snake. The reptile was smiling, just nodding with an eye roll.
Piranha's lips curled when he saw Snake, but his worry didn't last when Wolf turned to him.
"You're not wrong," said Wolf. "Points for trying. Would make us invincible, right?"
Internally, Piranha sighed in relief. Externally, he grinned widely. "Well, I kind of learnt that it's all about needing to take a different look to make everyone comfortable."
Webs was surprised to hear this from Piranha, of all people. But it was easy enough to know that using disguises would mean getting past any nuisances. It should have occurred to them. She felt slightly upset for not remembering this. But she did try to help Wolf and Snake when they became nervous wrecks, didn't she?
She glanced back at Piranha, realizing that he was thinking further ahead. At least he managed to cheer Wolf a little. She could feel Shark moving as well, nodding in agreement. So did Kitty, coming close to Wolf and Snake to pat them on their backs. Diane shrugged but it looked more like she was close to giving up on asking for suggestions.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Fuchsia stared at Piranha, narrowing her eyes. His brief timid look went unnoticed.
The Mecha Underlords' Devil Ship, ?
[DRUM GO DUM (K/DA Cover) - Master Andross feat. Aruvn, Hyurno, Kuraiinu and Will Stetson]
[0:02]
The groovy beats playing from his new radio filled in the cold emptiness of his new room. Before, it was devoid of any liveliness. His voice would have left a good impression on it. However, he felt that he need something to fit the tone of the Mecha Underlords' bunk rooms. Sure, a futuristic bed and a desk table wouldn't be enough. The glowing stripes on the walls could help. While he wasn't really ready to unpack his luggage bags, he needed at least something to get him hyped and engaged.
The boppy, electronic music resonated with Oscar's mood in testing out his new toys attached to his cyborg body. He only learned that he couldn't get hurt by regular bullets or electricity. He could breathe fire, shoot explosive projectiles and form guns from his shoulders and arms.
[0:13 to 0:24]
Bopping his head to the music, he decided to try to adjust a few of the weapons he could form from his body. At that moment, he pulled out a cannon weapon from his arm, tinkering its insides. Sparks flew as he tried switching a few things to enhance the weapon's firing rate.
The next thing Oscar did was test out what he was impervious to. Just because he was a cyborg didn't mean he was unstoppable. He squashed two cyborg-like people when he came down.
He got a small flamethrower weapon with him and he pressed it over his head. He smiled but was unhappy that he didn't have a mirror. He wouldn't know how his head looked like when set on fire.
Next thing he did was try to shoot himself with a larger bullet than the regular cop guns.
BANG!
He yelled and crashed to the ground. The pain was only temporary, so the intense pain flaring in his shoulder wasn't the end of the world for him. Even if it was a large hole bleeding in yellow. So, larger bullets hurt him the most! Slowly getting up, he grinned anxiously as he went to patch the wound.
Behind him, Shaård entered, agitated.
"Oscar…" he growled, keeping his voice to a minimum.
[0:35]
The Great White Shark paid no attention. The music was the only thing he could hear. The next thing he did was spin around on his chair. With the bottom of his boots shooting out red flames as if they were jet boots! What got him excited was using them as exhauster pipes to spin his chair many times like a carnival ride.
"Oscar!" shouted Shaård, his voice reaching a high pitch yet unable to cut through the music.
Oscar remained oblivious to his presence, waving his arm around to produce a holographic image of his son as a cyborg.
The next thing Oscar tried out was how many forms he could use to disguise himself. Only his regular flesh self and his cyborg look so far, but he was surprised to see that he could make himself look more threatening! And he was already too excited to check through all of them, dancing around to the music while constantly changing his facial looks.
[0:46]
"OSCAR!" shouted Shaård a third time, his eye twitching. His sharpened voice was enough to blow the roof off.
Fed-up, he smashed the radio with his bare fist.
"OSCAR!" roared Shaård.
[0:52 - End of Song]
As the music cut, Oscar spun his chair to face him, his face glitching back to his original appearance.
"Yes, my child?" he said, grinning stupidly.
"Ten cops and two civilians dead in America!" growled Shaård. "American police cops! DEAD!"
What a stupid saying. Oscar just laughed. "Oh. Yeah."
"A mall suffering from further explosions!"
The Great White Shark only laughed louder by how silly Shaård was starting to sound. The giant shark rested his head on the table, his cheek squished against the material softly. He fondly remembered his previous carnage. On the other hand, Shaård looked nothing more than an annoyed teacher instead of a raging cyborg empire, his twitchy purple eye glitching.
Before the human cyborg could scold again, a confused Splaarghön entered the room.
"I heard loud noises," she said.
"Oh, hi there, Splaarghön," grumbled Shaård. "They came from Oscar having a party with cops in the USA!"
"...no, I'm referring to your screaming."
"You're seriously siding with him?!"
Splaarghön was still. "Well, the damage isn't too bad there?"
Shaård's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me?! Do any of you have ANY idea what he did?! Now, we have the American government on our tail! All for a senseless interruption in a government investigation!"
Oscar sighed, growing bored by this. "Kids. And yet, I thought the adults are supposed to be the cranky ones. One thing I know, they did see the two civilians trying to take away THIS thing. But they didn't see me taking it for you."
The Great White Shark brought out the same box he stole from Centralway Mall, moving it under the ceiling lights for all to see. On his lap, the two human cyborgs leaned forwards, recognizing the box design…similar to the previous boxes that contained the Eden Apples. Oscar smiled, not a smug smirk, and pressed a button on top of it.
The box opened up like flower petals, revealing the Eden Apple sitting right there. Splaarghön's eyes widened, surprised by the discovery. When she thought there weren't any more Eden Apples in America. Shaård was also shocked, but he didn't know if he should be happy about this.
Splaarghön looked back at Oscar. He looked more like an excited teddy bear. His puppy eyes were sparkly, sweet-looking. Did he went out of his way to find the last few Eden Apples in the States?
In the end, she had to agree with Shaård.
"It's nice that you did this for us," said Splaarghön, slowly plucking the Eden Apple. "But…I don't think it was necessary to kill for that situation."
"Oh, c'mon!" said Oscar giddily, waving the now-empty box around. "I mean, wouldn't you kill the American cops as well?"
Shaård shook his head. "Not the right time now. Especially since you went in without a proper disguise."
Oscar was about to argue, but observing how…well, different these human cyborgs were acting, they took their plan more seriously. Maybe a bit too serious, but they had some good points. It only disappointed him that they couldn't have too much fun yet. Kudos to them for having common sense towards the criminal world.
The Great White Shark let out a begrudging sigh. "OK. OK. Though, out of curiosity, is killing still necessary?"
"Only when it is," pointed out Splaarghön. "I feel like what you did wrong there is that you enjoyed the hunt so much that you got yourself exposed to firearms that could still damage you."
"I agree," said Shaård, his bitter face turning into concern. "Can you just try to do stealth instead of an all-out war?"
"I don't do subtle, kids," said Oscar, patting his chest.
"Well, you'll have to for the next few days."
Oscar clicked his tongue dismissively.
"Maybe dial back the killing for now," said Shaård. "Avoid unwanted attention."
"...maybe a little," said Splaarghön.
"Don't you dare encourage him."
Oscar shrugged. "I guess so. You two are surprisingly pretty wise for your age."
Splaarghön smirked. "You're surprised by that? I mean, we ran this empire for the start."
"Shouldn't you two be more vicious?" asked Oscar, annoyed. He could see his son in their positions. "You should be more grateful for your youth! When killing or fighting, wouldn't you want a piece of all that action?"
Shaård hummed, looking embarrassed. "...OK. I have to admit that I REALLY like fighting a lot. You know…like making me quite high!"
"Say there, brother!" joked Oscar, playfully noogieing Shaård. "We are connecting here!"
Shaård only regarded this with a nervous step back. "T-Though, I…don't prefer going too wild. It always happens in training. I…sometimes get out of control with the swords, the sharpness, the slicing, the…sweat…"
He trailed off, suddenly looking turned on. TOO turned on. His face became the pure definition of inner peace: eyelids droopy and tongue sticking out.
"Oh yeah, swords…ahhhhhhhhhhh…"
Splaarghön lightly tapped on the side of his head and it was just enough to wake him up.
"Oh! Oh! Yeah. Yeah." Shaård looked away, trying not to show his reddened cheeks. "And chainsaws too, but…it could be dangerous. No…matter how much you want to…swing them around."
Oscar raised an eyebrow. "You're OK there, man?"
Shaård grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I'm good!"
Splaarghön thought for a while. "I…could go the same. Killing is just a sport. A simple job done. No one will care about it in the next few years."
"Oooh, feisty!" teased Oscar. "So, I'm guessing we hold back these urges until we win?"
Shaård laughed nervously. "Yeah. It doesn't help that me and Splaarghön have mega beast modes and they tend to be quite…provocative. Well, hopefully at the right time…"
"We just need to be silent now," said Splaarghön. "Now remember, intimidation is key, but not too much through explicit actions. Like what Shaård says, keep it at a good level."
Oscar nodded. "Understood. I'll make sure not to kill that much under your reasons."
Shaård sighed, feeling relieved that at least Oscar came to realize rather than too late. "Well, pray that you won't spark an interference. But how did you know there would be one Eden Apple in a mall?"
"Glad you asked! I did my research and there was some kind of explosion in that mall a week ago. I decided to try investigating myself since a former Sunnyside researcher accidentally caused the explosion. And from what I could find, he tried placing some Eden Apples in the underground level!"
"That's the stupidest idea I ever heard," said Splaarghön. "Why do so?"
"Maybe he was in a hurry," said Shaård. "People tend to become idiots when they panic. And maybe he thought no one would bother finding them there."
"It seems to be the case when I noticed how many rooms were torn apart," continued Oscar. "Only one room with an Eden Apple remained intact. But when I got to it, two people already got their hands on it. So, I followed and that was how I ended up facing the police."
"Wait, two people?" said Shaård, alarmed. "Were they the two civilians reported dead?"
"I'm not sure if we should even call them 'civilians'," said Oscar, frowning. Earnestly, he could spot anything off towards certain people. This included his targets, always careful not to let go of potential offenders later in life. "When I saw them, their faces resembled…yours? And unlike the uniforms here, they were…" He paused, trying to remember the clear visuals. "...wearing the same leather vest and striped shirt. It's pretty weird since the moment they saw me, they ran away."
Splaarghön and Shaård glanced at each other, exchanging alarmed looks. If those 'civilians' were cyborgs, they would have reported to them about this or come back here alive. They knew every cyborg in their team, but why did they run away from Oscar? Everybody knew he was on their side.
For Shaård, the part about the two men wearing the same leather vest and striped shirt sounded familiar. It might be a coincidence, but the first thing that came to mind when associating these clothes would be…Shaård's heart sank. He stopped thinking further, but the stinging sadness refused to swim away. His chest was tight in unease. The same feeling he felt in the past when he made the wrong choice…
"R-Right then," he said, his voice so quiet that it couldn't be heard properly. "We'll…look into that. I-I-erm…need to check on..."
"Check on what?" asked Oscar.
However, Shaård bolted out of the door unceremoniously. The door closed behind him, leaving only Splaarghön and Oscar in the same room.
"...what is that about?" said Oscar, confused.
Splaarghön hummed, blind to her friend's reaction. "I have no idea. You know what, I'll come to him later. He probably needs to blow off steam. It's what he does whenever he gets upset."
"I didn't make him go into another tantrum, did I?"
"I don't think that's the case. So don't worry about it."
Splaarghön took a few minutes to scan the room wildly, trying to ensure no eyes were watching them. Once confirmed, she placed the Eden Apples in one of her pouches and took the empty box from Oscar's hands.
"Anyway, it's just you and me here," said Splaarghön. "I think it's time we should start talking."
"Talking about what?" said Oscar, sitting on his bed. "You mean about the few changes you're considering to your huge cannon?"
"It's not that."
"Then why did you tell me about its functions earlier? Why didn't Shaård know?"
Splaarghön froze, clutching the box tightly. Her eyes softened, fearful. Her pink eye turned a lighter color. "...well, I just…he doesn't need to…"
"You don't want to tell him just because," diagnosed Oscar.
Splaarghön narrowed her eyes, the sharp discipline she carried returning to the surface. "Geez. Yeah, I don't know why."
"Oh, you kids and your trust issues. I mean, you remind me of my son with all that attitude of wanting to be careful. I mean, isn't Shaård a useful asset to you?"
"He's my friend," snarled Splaarghön. "I…don't know what his reaction will be when if I told him. Things…change. I have to find the right time so he can understand better. As savage he can be, he's afraid."
Oscar smirked. "Afraid. It's funny. You trust me more."
"That's because I know you don't bother to tell others," said Splaarghön bluntly.
The Great White Shark was a bit dumbfounded. "Oh…"
"I know that you would tell," said Splaarghön monotonously. She seemed to act warmly as she sat beside him on the bed. But the voice lacked any excitement or passion in her explanation. "But I know you wouldn't care much for other people's business. The thing we both care about is what we agreed on. However, your night crime may cause more unwanted guests. We cannot allow them to get in our way. I need to know that I can trust you."
"But isn't my expertise enough?" asked Oscar. "I thought you didn't mind me being around."
"I enlisted you for all of this. The underrated people of the world who deserve a better life than sitting in a gutter. You are powerful, but try knowing what to use that power for. For everyone. And I know that you have the power to create that necessary chemical."
Oscar's eyes widened. "That…chemical? For your transformation weapon?"
"Why yes," said Splaarghön. "You know the one I'm talking about. It worked many times before, am I correct?"
Once again, the Great White Shark's smile disappeared at this point. He hoped to forget or move on from worrying about creating the stupid chemical again. Finding the materials wouldn't take long, but creating it was too dangerous, even for him. Splaarghön already told her ideas, but he didn't have the heart to proceed with it.
"You see…" he said, trying not to slouch. "It's not gonna work…"
He trailed off when he saw someone sitting next to Splaarghön.
And that wasn't Shaård. If it were him, he would walk right through the door and make his presence known.
It was a girl in a tight black sports outfit with blonde hair. Her expression was neutral, but when she saw Oscar, she smiled, her pupils shrinking.
Walking through the dark jail hallway, Oscar rolled around a small vial of pink liquid. It would nearly resemble a strawberry fizzy drink if it weren't for the odd shapes the bubbles create. A dim magenta surrounded the vial, tempting one to take a sip. Attractive, yet the Great White Shark knew its true potential. And that was only one of the vials he created.
"Now, son," he said, twisting his head to face the younger son waddling near him. "Tell me. When you see stronger prey, do you think you have a chance against them?"
His booming voice enhanced the importance of these words, echoing through the foundation he made in this underground world. His son was so frightened by how loud it was that it drowned out even the mice squeaks he could hear in the walls. It was as if Oscar's voice could fill this space, vocalizing his dominating authority that refused anyone to come out.
Lou remained quiet, not responding when his father petted him on the head. The gentle touch was unlike his powerful presence. The younger, shy shark took a while shuffling his feet, ruffling his red shirt and fiddling with his necklace. But when he touched his necklace, made from his first chipped tooth when he tried fighting, it gave him enough confidence to look up. A reminder that he and his father were…nearly the same.
"Well." Lou paused, afraid of what his father might say. "Maybe?"
Oscar huffed, an amused look crossing his smile. "That figures. I'll admit, I've taken on the strongest rivals, but there are some I am even unable to kill. That way, it is hard to give them no mercy whenever they come back to give another fight."
Lou hummed awkwardly, looking down. He couldn't honestly imagine his father being beaten down by one on his level.
"But, there is some powerful prey that you can take down for a while." Oscar flipped the vial upwards, expecting his son to catch it. Lou gasped in surprise, but he grabbed it like a natural. "No need to worry. There's more where that came from. This would be the key to subduing your strongest. A hit on the head, a dose of brainwashing in their systems and they'll be all yours."
"All…mine?" said Lou worriedly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, if you cannot kill a stronger foe, then…" Oscar hummed playfully, waving his hand like he was orchestrating the orchestra. "They can become your servant. Always best to invoke that at their weakest point, even if tiny. It's a win for us and a loss for them anyway!"
Lou raised an eyebrow towards his father's boast. "And? Does this…last long?"
"Only last a few years, but it remains in their body. Weakens them a little, but if you don't want to give them more, they'll be your next hunt."
Lou stared at the pink chemical in his hands. A pretty bulb-like object that could be hung up on his ceiling. However, he didn't want to play around with something his father would need. And what would happen if he accidentally took a drop of it himself?
He slowly looked back to his father, dread filling his widened eyes. "W-Who did you use it on?"
Oscar smirked, looking too confident. "Glad you ask, son. Right on time."
They arrived at a bigger cell sandwiched between the repetitive, empty cells in rows. This one was a zoo cage, still dirty from the past experiments Oscar did in this one as a testing ground. It was already occupied with two prisoners fighting each other, a couple of other bulky sharks wearing lab coats and other prisoners anticipating on the sides for their turn.
Lou had seen countless things from this specific cage, his face coming close to its metal bars. But the prisoners wearing black sports bodysuits indicated this one wouldn't be pretty. These prisoners looked angry. Their brows furrowed to give a cruel, unapologetic look, their eyes staring forward in a desire to tear some flesh out. The two prisoners currently fighting were foaming at the mouth like dogs, their spit flying everywhere.
Lou took a step back, his eyes shaking at the surreal scene. "What are you…exactly showing me?"
"Need to test the chemicals first," explained Oscar, unfazed by the violence. "It would be a shame if the side effects kick in and the possessed fails to meet the standards."
Lou looked back at the prisoners. They looked so different, but despite their twisted faces, he could imagine them feeling scared. They even appeared clean, untouched by whatever trouble came their way.
"You're using it on them?!" he asked.
The Great White Shark shrugged. "Well, they're weak, but they will do for now. If their bodies can take it, it would be the same for-"
"No, no, no. Just…why them?"
Oscar grunted, rolling his eyes. "...well, you were whining too much about the blood spill. So, I found a better way to treat them."
Lou shook his head in disbelief, his eyes watery at the 'alternative'. "They don't deserve this."
"Well, that's too bad for them," said Oscar in an alarmingly flat tone. "They ended up here, they deserve for where life led them to. They were monsters like us. A little kick to them would be necessary to use that."
Lou wanted to say something. Speak against his father. Say that this was all wrong. He couldn't take his eyes off the boxing prisoners inside the large jail cell. He wanted to save them.
However, he knew that his father wouldn't. And in this business, he was…right. He was always right about everything. Oscar never let Lou try to be nice to these prisoners. And even one time, when Lou snuck in food, Oscar had to drag him back to his room to tell him off for displaying such weakness.
The young shark then noticed one of the prisoners not showing anger. It was a young teen woman. A blonde human. She actually looked…scared. She was trying her best not to curl up in a ball, but her eyes kept shifting around in paranoia. Her eyes appeared softer than the others.
A spark of hope was elicited, but it was overshadowed by the dread of knowing his father was around.
"That girl there," cooed Lou.
Oscar barely batted an eye towards her. "Hmm? What about her?"
Lou gulped, mustering up willpower to be ready for… "Can I please talk to…?"
Oscar frowned. "Don't you dare."
Lou didn't turn around but could feel his scary frown towering over him. "Am I supposed to remain scary to humans? I-I think this would go well if…maybe I can get them-?"
Oscar growled, bending down to meet his son's eye level. Once he got his son staring at him, that was when Oscar lost any traces of tolerance. "Lou. Stop feeling sorry for those below you. You don't know them. Just take this advice from me as your father."
"Dad, it's nice and all, but-"
"I'm being serious," said Oscar, coming closer. "We're not going to make any kind of negotiations with them. You want to be part of the pathetic prey or my side?!"
Oscar barely shouted, but the worst was yet to come. Lou could hear-no, FEEL the anger in his voice. The Great White Shark's eyes were narrowed, shaking in either annoyance or madness. He always had his episodes, but Lou thought this madness would translate into his father hurting him. Even if he never physically slapped him. This was enough to make Lou lose his train of thought.
He wanted to comfort the girl in the cage, but…doing so would be disrespectful.
With a hesitating sigh, he nodded and took a step back.
"Perhaps I should teach you how to approach your prey," snarled Oscar, opening the jail cell's door.
Knowing the outcome wouldn't be good for him, Lou watched haplessly as Oscar whistled to the other sharks to end the current fight. Two researchers immediately tackled the two prisoners currently fighting.
All they did was a simple whisper and they suddenly obeyed.
What scared Lou was that it was so natural despite the whisper. It was like they took a full 180. Everybody else watched coldly as the Great White Shark approached the blonde girl.
To Lou's surprise, the girl didn't try to move away. The only signs of fear were in her eyes, glassy when they were directed to the taller shark.
"No fear, no game," whispered Oscar softly.
The girl suddenly gasped as if she felt something in her throat.
"No doubt, no fails."
Lou narrowed his eyes. What was going on?
"No weakness, no dissatisfaction."
The blonde girl was frozen, yet her fingers trembled.
"Say 'no' to all of your worries," whispered Oscar with a creepy grin. "Are you ready to try to be the greatest?"
The blonde girl stood up, not blinking at all. Lou didn't know why, but she didn't look fragile anymore.
Oscar smirked. "Now, how about we skip to your turn now? Send in another date for her!"
They brought out another female opponent. She was skinny, but her arm muscles and thighs were well-toned. And her face had more scars than the blonde girl. As they started to circle each other like bulls, Lou sat down to make himself comfortable, resigned. He knew the outcome since he could see the thrilled smile on Oscar.
Lou eventually felt sick and turned his eyes away from the fight. The noises were unmistakable, taking Oscar's place in informing him what this place was truly about. Punches, kicks, the sounds he could expect from a brutal street fight. A slam to the ground that rumbled the floor like an earthquake. A couple of bone cracks and Lou flinched, adding to the screams. A testament to the torture that held this place for Oscar's sick pleasure.
He wondered if his father heard all of this before when he was younger. Maybe this might be why he loved fights.
Fortunately, the fight was over. Bad news was that the blonde girl was thrown against the bars near him. He stumbled backwards, briefly shielding himself. The girl slowly got up on shaky legs, coughing. She didn't appear innocent anymore: shrunken pupils like a feral animal.
Oscar snorted, walking towards the winner of the fight. "Shorter than expected. But one of the most complex fights I've ever seen with good hand coordination and durability." He patted the panting victor on the back. "Guess that chemical did turn off that coward switch!"
He remained oblivious to the victor glaring at him. Her eyes were already bloodshot and her teeth were clenched, saliva pouring out through the gaps. The bruises and cuts all over her body would make her look scary, but her glare was enough to give chills down anyone's spine. When Oscar was about to pat her one last time, she grabbed his hand.
"Oh!" said the Great White Shark. "So you want another-!"
The girl responded by twisting his wrist before pouncing onto him, repeatedly punching him in the head. Oscar was too shocked to fight back, dazed by the wild prisoner attacking him.
One of the shark researchers pulled out a baton to whack the prisoner off. The problem was that she didn't fall off like he expected her to. It just led to her hopping off from Oscar and onto the researcher.
All the prisoners rose from their seats, their pupils also shrinking.
The blonde girl even got up, but her attention was on Lou.
Without warning, she grabbed his shirt. The young shark let out a cry, trying to pry her hands off. However, he didn't have the strength to push her hands away. Before he could cry for help, the blonde woman slammed him against the cell bars.
All hell broke loose as the corrupted prisoners tried to fight back. Oscar didn't know why he was stepping back, watching his researchers trying to keep them in line. His back pressed against the bars, he was met by the image of his test subjects fighting back.
His fellow researchers were slowly overwhelmed by the relentless prisoners, their sturdy bodies no match to the more nimble and acrobatic prisoners. It could have been possible to pin them to the ground if it weren't for the new stamina.
It would have been something he would love to watch, but he wasn't sure why he felt so worried.
The chemical did go wrong, yes. The researchers had already prepared for something like this and had tough skin. However, one thing Oscar wasn't prepared for was keeping his son away from this. Lou was too close, allowing the blonde girl to lash at him.
Repeatedly slamming his face against the cell bars like a stuffed toy.
To Oscar's horror, he didn't hear his son even trying to cry loudly.
"Lou!" he screamed on instinct.
He tried to push through the rioting prisoners. He swore that they already started to bite into his researchers. He would sometimes turn around to punch a few prisoners out of the way or help some of his researchers up, but he was slowing down. Oscar might not even make it to his son before his attacker put him in a coma.
He finally got to the other side as fast as he could and pushed the blonde girl away. He didn't care if he pushed her too gently, but his attention was on his son.
He opened the door and slammed it, letting it ring in his ears from the demented noises inside. He pulled Lou as far away from the cell. His son was silent.
For once, Oscar could feel his heart leaping out of his chest. "Lou! Lou! Speak, please. Speak. Speak…"
The young shark was shaking, scared to open his eyes. However, hearing his father's voice led him to do so. He felt safe. Oscar's hands on his shoulders weren't the tight grip of the blonde girl. He opened his eyes as Oscar turned him away from the ugly fight. His face was still sore, dazed from the slamming.
When Lou smacked his lips, that was when he shivered.
Blood pouring from his nose already dripping down his chin.
Lou slowly placed his right hand over his face and pulled it back. It was stained in his blood. He could TASTE his own blood. The same way his father would taste it. It all came from a brutal beating from a girl he could barely remember. The young shark felt a droplet of his blood seeping through his lips. A salty taste splashed onto his tongue.
It was delicious. It was awful.
Lou's mind cracked open.
Oscar was about to ask again when his son suddenly wrapped his arms around his chest. The poor kid clenched his hands into fists as if trying to make the most of this moment. At first, Oscar wasn't sure why his son was acting like this. However, it did come to mind that he wasn't prepared for fighting. He was nearly killed and he needed his father right now. He could feel Lou sobbing, for goodness sake.
The Great White Shark felt his stomach twisting in knots. He didn't know why, but it felt like…regret? He could only return the hug for Lou before trying to drag him away gently. This was getting out of hand. He looked back at the big jail cell, seeing the researchers crushed by the rioting prisoners. It got so bad that the prisoners themselves were wrestling each other.
One of the researchers rested against the bars to catch his breath. That was when he saw the conflicted Oscar and his son hiding his face in his chest.
"Don't just stand there!" roared the researcher. "Take him away from-AAAH!"
He didn't get to finish when one of the prisoners yanked him by the dorsal fin, howling like a true animal.
Oscar gulped and guided his son away from the sight. The two sharks could only hear demented screeches of people who used to be human. Those were the screams Lou could ever make out from during their departure. They barely reflected the commanding voice of Oscar, who used to rule these hallways.
Oscar immediately jumped upwards and changed his arm into a cannon weapon. Splaarghön ducked as a laser projectile passed over her head and burned a hole through the wall.
The blonde girl was nowhere to be seen.
Oscar blinked, looking wildly. He swore he saw her. He just…remembered the last time he ever used the brainwashing chemical. History repeated itself. She was right there, ready to attack them! How could she disappear in thin air?
"What the hell are you doing?!" said Splaarghön, enraged. "I thought we were agreeing on something!"
The Great White Shark could barely talk. He tried to slip back on his signature smile, but it was hard to when his crazy thoughts barely concentrated on his beating heart. He wasn't sure where the deranged blonde girl went. However, the memory of her nearly killing his son kept replaying in his mind. And he couldn't stop it.
It was going to happen again once he created the chemical.
"Are you there, mister?" asked Splaarghön, snapping her fingers over Oscar's eyes.
Oscar touched the bed underneath, reminding himself he wasn't in the past. He grinned sheepishly, trying to appear comfortable.
"Sure! S-Sure," he said, cringing over how weak he sounded. "I…can…do so for you?"
Splaarghön was unable to believe what she was seeing. The great world-class mercenary suddenly nervous for once.
"OK…" she uttered, confused.
Phillip Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
Another call from his father. Shark didn't know what to expect, let alone late at night. He was sharing a room with Webs and Piranha, but the former chose not to appear right in front of the computer camera and the latter was using the bathroom for a LONG time. While both Shark and Webs had mixed feelings about receiving another call from the Great White Shark, they were somewhat curious about what events his father had to announce.
Shark could only stare in disbelief at the new face of his father. Now, a shark CYBORG.
"What do you think?" said Oscar on the computer screen, flashing a corny grin. "Think it looks nice on me?"
Shark thought of pointing out that his grin was strained. His father appeared to be acting weird. Webs, making sure that the computer camera didn't face her, wanted to make a snarky comment on this. Shark tried not to glance at her, trying not to ask for her advice.
A slow fart from the bathroom. No other guesses of who did it.
"It looks…alright," said Shark, his state in dreamland. "Dad, was the treatment painful?"
"Surprisingly quick," said Oscar with a small smile, remembering how he enjoyed the aftermath. "Well, it's painful initially, but you would feel satisfied once it was over. Like changed into a new person!"
"Literally." Shark squinted his eyes. "Can I be…honest here?"
"Sure then."
Enter Shark's fashionist mode. "The red on your face appears too dull."
"...it's still red!"
"Maybe make it more vibrant?"
"I'm still new to this body. It's gonna take a while until I get the glowing parts glowing."
"Hmm, perhaps change how the black part is shaped on your left cheek. It isn't consistent with your asymmetric shape look."
Quietly learning, Oscar leaned closer. "Really?"
"Yeah."
His father sighed. "You really read a lot of fashion books. And still having that golden earring on your dorsal fin."
"I actually k-kind of like it," said Shark, trying to move his dorsal fin to be out of sight. "I like fashion! It's…my…thing?"
Both Webs and Shark thought of preparing for a counteract, but Oscar didn't seem to be in the mood to argue.
"Sure, sure," said Oscar absentmindedly. "Whatever. I'll just…only for now, let this off for once. I'm tired of commenting on seeing things lately."
Shark sighed in relief but knew his father was still disgusted.
"Are you sure you don't want to join the empire I'm in?" asked Oscar, once again desperate. "I'm serious. I don't think I can convince them to be gentle."
Shark shook his head. "I'm occupied. I cannot join. I'm sorry."
"You're sure about this?" Oscar cleared his throat. "OK, this is serious. This empire might be questionable since most of them are around your cousin's age, but they are not senseless. And I feel that they might come after you too. So why not just…join me and be a cyborg as well? We won't have to worry about anything."
Shark wanted to think that his father was trying to lie to him. However, he could see the genuine worry. Oscar wasn't strict now. If anything, tired from whatever he did today. Doing his way would leave behind his friends and probably get sucked into cruel things his empire was doing. Following his father might be bad since he would be forced to see…
His hands were tied. The government might punish Shark if he abandoned the mission. He didn't want to betray his friends.
He finally shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry, but I made the decision already. Just tell me if there's anything REALLY bad and I'll give it a think. Is it urgent?"
Oscar was about to say 'yes' but wondered if he was just seeing things after remembering the memory of using the brainwashing chemical. For now, there was no clear reason for him to take his son, not to mention that Splaarghön might target him next out of the blue.
"Alright then," he said, sighing sadly. "Take some good rest. I-I need to rest as well. Just…know what to do, my baby Lou."
Shark nodded. "Please take care, Dad."
Without any more scathing remarks, Oscar ended the call. Shark exhaled loudly as Webs crawled over to him, placing a hand over his hand.
"Are you alright, Shark?" she asked.
"It wasn't too bad, that I can be happy about," said Shark. "I'm surprised he called in early to give the offer again. It couldn't be just to show off, I know him."
"But he did say that he'll give you time to think. Why now?"
"I don't know. Or maybe he's going crazy again…"
There was a loud crunch from the corridor. It sounded like someone kicked the wall. Shark slowly stood up, alerted.
"What was that?" he said.
Webs sighed. "Probably the neighborhood cat. It's not the ghost again. Don't worry too much, we should go to bed now."
Shark was already focused on the mysterious noise. "Actually, I think I like to see what's out there. It's just a quick peek! That's all!"
The tarantula snorted. "Alright then. Scream if you see an actual ghost."
"Won't be quick enough to take out your phone to capture it," joked Shark, trying to lighten the mood.
The giant shark slowly opened the door, looking both ways. Looking on his right, he spotted a familiar fox with her back facing him, trying to blend in the shadows. Shark was sure his room lights were already out, so Diane wouldn't spot him easily. She was up against the corner of the corridor with a phone close to her ear.
"What? No!" she whispered against a yelling voice coming from her phone. "I'm not saying that I lost them…OK, I wasn't focusing. We got into party mode at that bar I found."
Her ears folded back when she moved the phone away from her face. Even at this distance, Oscar could hear how loud the angry voice was.
"Don't worry. You know the Australian government are aware of our mission. I can let the police know we're not a threat."
She must be trying to cover up the Bad Guys for their joyriding stunt. Shark smiled to himself, grateful that Diane was doing this for them. However, he felt that he shouldn't be smiling for this.
She waited for a few seconds before nodding. "Will do. I-I won't let you down this time."
Shark closed the door, making sure that Diane didn't hear him. He was surprised that she made the call outside. Well, it was a good idea since Kitty and Fuchsia might be asleep in her room. However, just calling right at a dark corner raised some suspicions of Shark towards her.
"I wonder if this is…more than saving our skin from the cops," muttered Shark to himself. "But she wouldn't have told the International League of Heroes about this if they're confident in her, right?" He thought for a while. "But they didn't allow Hornet to come in. Even Diane didn't want this to happen. Could this mean something with her and my father?"
Eventually, Shark was too tired to think. He wasn't sure if he should be questioning this now. He didn't want to think about his father when he was supposed to be on his mission soon. He should be looking forward to another bright day in Melbourne.
"Maybe I'm overthinking again," he whispered. "I mean, at least we'll still be able to be in hiding for the next few days. It's not like my father is gonna show up again by coincidence."
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, a buggy-eyed Piranha gazed at his phone through a chat with Hornet who was currently telling him about his run-in with the Great White Shark.
"...then the police force showed up! And apparently, they didn't want me involved because of government orders! And then, I followed them in to discover two guys stealing some sort of box. And then, Shark's father, Oscar, came in and killed at least ten cops! He looked more like a cyborg than a raw fish! And then, I escaped and saw him teleport away!"
Piranha was speechless, nearly dropping his phone. It took him a while for him to understand Hornet's ramble. All of a sudden, he felt paranoid. He briefly thought he saw Oscar's stupid face appearing behind Hornet. He pulled his hoodie collar to open the neckhole. If the heat light switch wasn't the cause, then it must be his silent anxiety making him sweat.
"Why is it so…hot in here?" he said.
"...did you turn on the heater light again?" asked Hornet.
"It works better than the dim original light! But anyway, did Shark's dad see you?"
"His attention was on the police cops, but I don't think he saw me."
"And he nearly killed you right there! In the collapsing mall!"
"Does Shark know anything about this? Anything about Oscar's new appearance?"
Piranha scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, chico. He hasn't said anything. Webs would know, but she would have already told us."
Hornet scratched his chin. "So now, here are my guesses: he must have been controlled by someone or he came in on his own accord with those new…powers."
"Shall I tell Shark about this?" asked Piranha.
"I think that's a good idea. But would it be good for him to know now?"
"I can do it in the morning. It's late where I am now. Besides, this is related to his family. Oscar is his family and Shark deserves to know."
Hornet nodded. "Right then! Let me know if Shark mentions anything else. With the Great White Shark out again, he might be more dangerous than before."
I don't think we really recognize the many more dangers that will be coming up our way. Oscar is still in contact with his son, so that's one problem. But for the rest of the hunt? Guess that some things could lead you to familiar places. Or memories for that matter.
AN: And thus, the main act for Day 2 is completed. The next one-shot special will be up shortly!
This is probably one of my favorite chapters to write about. While still establishing the settings (sorry for the slow pace, everyone), we still see some shenanigans, small discoveries and characters conversing with each other on their growing uncertainties. I wish that I did more for our Mecha Underlords, but I decided to focus on Oscar first before we have a surprise for our little Dread Overlord.
Oscar listening to music and not paying attention to a fuming Shaård was based on the 'Get Jinxed' scene in Arcane. Let's give the Great White Shark some new tunes to know and love. And it would establish the menace he is. Additionally, Splaarghön carries some elements of the villain of the aforementioned show. While not that much is revealed here, this should incite her overall view and attitude in her work.
The entire flashback to Shark and his father witnessing a brawl out of control is actually based on Captain America: Civil War. I thought that the use of a brainwashing chemical would be a good way to tie into the dangerous power of the story and fit the themes. You can see this even conflicts Oscar a lot due to seeing its potential on those he doesn't want to be involved. I made sure that the flashback is intense as possible, even given some advice from my friends Assassin's Creed Master and The Sensation SpiderDom. Thank you to you two!
What do you think of the build-up for Day 2? And what are your expectations for the next day? Let me know in your review. Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story so far, be sure to favorite or follow. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but if any flames, then it's down the drain.
Until next time, keep on rocking!